Ten O'Clock
by Trinity Marquise
Summary: One-shot. It was ten o’clock, an unenjoyable time of night. Ten was the hour when you were only slightly sleepy, yet didn’t want to go to bed. If you could get past ten, you could pull an all nighter. Ten was the hour in which people got into trou


It was ten o'clock, a most unenjoyable time of night.  Ten was the hour when you were only slightly sleepy yet didn't want to go to bed.  If you could get past ten, you could pull an all nighter.  Ten was the hour in which people get into trouble.

And who knew that better than Hermione Granger?  Sixth Year Prefect and proud, she spent _her_ ten o'clock hour roaming the halls, searching for those making mischief in this hour dedicated for just that purpose.  Already she had come across a couple making out in a closet, two students huddled behind a curtain, planning some kind of nasty prank, and two pathetic house elves carrying copper pots, pillows, candles, and platters of cookies, scampering up to Gryffindor Tower.

And to top it off, all of these people, er, creatures, had been out past curfew.  It was almost disgraceful, the amount of rule-breakers in hallowed Hogwart's halls.  Hermione had promptly dealt out a few detentions to the pair of snoggers, confiscated the prankster's supplies and wrote them a note for their head of house, and though the house elves squealed "The Double Wheezies need these!"  Hermione firmly ignored their sobs and sent them, junk and all, back to the kitchens.

Munching on a cookie she had nicked off the tray before the house elves trudged back to their portrait, she paced through the halls, just waiting for more troublemakers.  A shadow crept over the wall as she neared a bend in the hallway, and Hermione prepared her usual lecture for this new ruffian.

"Curfew was at nine o'clock and what are you—"

"Better run back to your house before I hex you into—"

"Malfoy?"

"Granger?"

Indeed, Draco the Smarmy Booger Malfoy stood in front of her, arms crossed, doing his best to look big and intimidating.

It didn't quite work.  Hermione just rolled her eyes and said, "Oh, it's just you."

"'Oh, it's just you'?" Draco mimicked her, raising a brow.  "Should I be offended, Granger?" 

"Not at all," she responded smoothly.  "I was just expecting someone a little more evil, that's all.  Now, if you'll excuse me…"

"More evil?" Draco repeated.  "Who's more evil than Draco Malfoy?"  He looked scandalized at the mere thought.

"Seamus has a lot of anger bottled up inside," Hermione said thoughtfully, tapping her cheek.  "He could definitely fill the position of Evil and Smarmy."

"If I'm not evil, then you're not the school's bookworm," Draco shot back.

Hermione looked equally scandalized.  "Who else could be?"

"Pansy has a deeply hidden desire for knowledge."

"Only of how to show more cleavage."

"Nah, she really does enjoy learning."

"About making out, I'm sure.  I've caught her snogging with three different guys this week."

Draco looked interested. "Do tell."

"I'd rather not," Hermione grimaced, "sticking ones tongue down another's throat doesn't sound appealing in the least bit to me."

Draco smirked.  "Well, when you say it in that tone of voice, nothing sounds appealing.  Try this," he cleared his throat, and then leaned in, speaking in what he obviously considered to be a dangerous and seductive voice, "how bout sticking your tongue down my throat?"

Hermione burst out laughing.  "Nice try, Malfoy, but not quite.  You keep working on that, okay?  We'll meet again for another session tomorrow, but now, I better get back to my room now. It's ten till eleven."

Ignoring her snickers at his attempt at sounding sexy, Draco tilted his head to one side.  "It's not, it's almost ten."

"It's almost eleven, Malfoy.  I always make rounds at ten."

"No, Granger, it's definitely only ten."

"Draco, I looked at my clock before I left!  It clearly said 10:00!"

"You forgot to set it back, didn't you?"

Pause.

"Oh, crickey, Malfoy, I did!"  Hermione gasped and sank down onto the stone, paling.  "Merlin, that means I gave those fourth years an undeserved detention for being out past curfew!" 

Draco actually smiled, sitting next to her.  "You sure they didn't deserve it?"

"Well, that one was on top of the one for not being able to control their hormonal desires towards the opposite sex."

"Oh."

"And in addition to the one for not being creative enough to find a better spot than a broom closet."

"Wow."

Hermione let out a wail.  "I'm a failure as a Prefect!  Take my badge, Malfoy, just take it now."  She unpinned the badge and shoved it blindly at him with one hand, the other hand covering her eyes.

Draco snickered silently.  It was always funny when she got dramatic.  "Granger, there is no other sixth year that deserves this badge more than you."  He grasped the hand that was trying to pin her badge to him and turned it around, gently repining it to her robe.

Hermione sort of sniffled, looking down at it.  "Really?"

"Yes, Granger, really."

"Oh."

Another pause.

"Granger?"

"Yes?"

"Here."

There was no small amount of absolute silence in the all but deserted hallway.

A self-satisfied Draco leaned back.  "There."

"…there?"

He smirked.  "Yes, there."

More silence.

"And there again."

"Oh, yes, there, too."

And when Hermione took a break from adding to the silence, she looked at her watch.  Perfect.  It had just turned the hour when her favorite rogue came out of the shadows and began to make mischief.  After this hour, if she could make it, she could stay up all night.  It was that hour when she was only a little sleepy, but refused to go to bed.  

After all, it was only ten o'clock.


End file.
